Plural action interval timer



Nov. 6, v 19554;

R. D. SMITH PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Original Filed Feb. 2, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Nov. 6, 1934. R SMITH 1,979,293

PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Original Filed Feb. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 6, 1934. R D sMlTH 1,979,293

PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Original Filed Feb. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 6, 1934. R. D. SMITH PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Original Filed Feb. 2, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INYENTOR Nov. 6, 1934. R. D. SMITH PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Original Filed Feb. 2, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLURAL ACTION INTERVAL TIMER Raymond D. Sinith, Pleasantville, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Tremont Products Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts 17 Claims.

This invention relates to timing mechanism involving a time giving means such as clock work and some of the features of the present improvements permit such clock work to remain inactive except when utilized for time controlling purposes and, whether or not the clock work so operates, provide that the time controlled device such as a gas valve or electric switch be manually tensioned and set to perform a predetermined limited number of automatic actions under the control of whatever form of clock work is employed.

This application is divisional from my copending application, Serial No. 616,549, which has eventuated in U. S. Patent No. 1,967,270 granted July 24, 1934, and many of the improvements herein concerned are susceptible of use in connection with time giving movements powered .otherwise than by spring driven motors.

In some of its features, the present invention 5 provides a spring clock mechanism with appropriate control means or timer hands for winding the main or driving spring thereof and also for indicating the time for which the clock will run so that by establishing respectively different settings of a plurality of the said timer hands, the automatic actions of the switch can be predetermined as'to time. A store-keeper may thus set my improved interval timer to perform the double action of turning his window lights 0 on, say at 8 o'clock, and off again at 11 by one setting of the device, or a house-wife may cause the current for the heating oven of her electric range to come on at 3 oclock in the afternoon and go off at 5 oclock for cooking the evening meal while she is absent. Through suitable circuit connections the double circuit controlling action of this switch may operate, first, to reduce and then to extinguish the controlled lighting circuit for uses in the poultry business where it is .desired to have a period of reduced light before darkness to give time for the fowl to find their roost.

The invention will better be understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings and its tical section and other parts being broken away to better show the construction as hereinafter described.

Fig. 3 is a view of the switch detent mechanism taken on the plane 33 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 4 is a view of the pawl and ratchet controlling inter-relation of the timing cams and is taken in section on the plane 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig.5 shows the switch and timer levers as positioned when switch is in on position and not tensioned for time-controlled action.

Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 3 with position of parts corresponding to position of switch in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view of the lock members for the switch operating shaft taken in section on plane 7-7 in Fig. 2, parts being positioned to correspond with Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows the position of timer cams when the timer hands point at zero and corresponding to the position of the switch shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 shows the switch in on position tensioned for timer controlled escapement to ofi position.

Fig. 10 is similar to Fig. 3, position of parts corresponding to Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is similar to Fig. 7, position of parts corresponding to Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is similar to Fig. 8 showing the timer cam that controls escapement of switch for movement to 017" position rotated so that slot in same is removed from register with timer lever and switch thereby held under tension in "on position as shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 shows switch held in 01? position by timer lever and tensioned for double automatic action at respectively different times.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 3, position of parts corresponding to Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 7, position of parts corresponding to Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 8, both timer cams being rotated to positions for locking the timer levers.

Fig. 17 is a front view of the timer casing with switch button in on position, both timer hands pointing to zero corresponding to relation of mechanical parts shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17 showing switch in on position but tensioned for automatic escapement to off position when the off timer hand returns to zero, the corresponding position of mechanical parts being as in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive.

Fig. 19 is a similar view showing the switch in "03 position but tensioned for a double escapement, first to on and then to off position, the position of mechanical parts being as shown in Figs. 13120 16 inclusive.

Fig. 20 shows front. view, corresponding to Fig. 1, a modified construction for eifecting clock control of the timer levers.

Fig. 21 shows the parts of Fig. 20 in locking P-. sition.

Fig. 22 is a plan view partly in section, looking down on Fig. 20.

Fig. 23 shows a further possible form of the clock-controlled, lever-locking device.

Fig. 24 shows a construction whereby the timeindicating dial is carried by and in adjustable relation to the timer handle for certain useful purposes.

Fig. 25 is a view partly in section looking at the right of Fig. 24.

Fig. 26 shows a concentric instead of adjacent relation of the "on and "01? timer handles and Fig. 27 is a view looking up at Fig. 26 and is taken partly in central'horizontal section.

Fig. 28 shows a special form of switch dial to indicate when the switch is cooked for automatic action.

Fig. 29 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the timing mechanism of my present improvement connected to operate a valve such as shown in my United States Patent No. 1,385,098, issued July 19; 1921, part of the mechanism being taken in section on the plane 2929 of Fig-30 looking in the direction of the arrows. 7 Fig. 30 is a view taken partially in section on the plane 3030 in Fig. 29 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings the same symbol designates the same part throughout the different views.

There are three main systems of mechanism in my improved interval timer. One is a rot ry snap switch, which may be single or double pole or of any desired circuit-controlling arrangement and shown in the drawings as carried by the insu-,

lating base 10 of porcelain or suitable material, and secured by screws 11 to' the frame 12. The second system may comprise any form of clock mechanism herein represented by the parts mounted in frame plates 13 secured to the frame 12. And the third system consists of various r0- tative parts including the on" timer lever 14 and the "ofi" timer lever 15 which are pivoted by a bearing bolt 16 to a bearing standard 1'1 projecting from the frame 12.

First, I will describe the mechanical parts of each of the three" above systems and then describe how they function in my improved interval timer.

The porcelain base 10 of the snap switch carries on opposite sides thereof interconnected plates 18--18a which serve as bearings for the switchshaft 19, this shaft by means of flats on same at different points along its length, fixedly carrying a spring anchorage 20, cam 21 for operating the link 30 and a shaft-locking member 22.

The contacts of the switch comprise stationary spring clips 23 carried by two binding posts 24 for attachment of leading-in wires, not shown; one'of which clips and binding posts is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 because falsely positioned to accord with Fig.1 and there is a rotating I blade structure comprising contact blades 25 mounted in insulated relation on the rotating barrel 26 with one end of which the switch Operating spring 27 engages; the other end of this spring engaging the shaft anchorage 20 and being thereby rotated with the shaft 19. At the base of the barrel 26 is fixedly carried a plate 28 having two downward projections 29, the space between same serving as guide for the projecting arm of the link 30 which as moved radially by cam 21 and rotatively by the projections to control the follow-up movement of the barrel 26 relative to the shaft 19 by successive engagements and disengagements with the four teeth 31 on plate 18 (see Fig. 3). The switch mechanism thus far described operates on a principle common to most rotary snap switches with minor variations of construction and I have added to such ordinary construction only the member 22 co-operating with pawl 32 at the base of the switch for holding the switch shaft 19 rotatively advanced thereby to manually establishthe tension for effecting time controlled automatic, follow-up action of the contact blades 25 relative to the shaft 19. As a means of locking the contact blades 25 against rotation for automatic control, I provide the barrel 26 with radially extending arms 33 formed to give ample spacing from the electrically alive parts. The usual operating button 34 furnishes a means for manually turning the switch shaft.

The clock mechanism consists of a main spindle 35 to which one end of the main spring 36 is attached. The other end of spring 36 is anchored to the frame work so that the degree to which spring 36 is wound or unwound is governed by, and limited to, the movements of spindle 35. The retarding mechanism may consist of the usual hair-spring escapement and retarding gears of which the largest one 37 permits contra-clockwise rotation of the spindle relative thereto through the action of a pawl 38 pivoted to gear 37 with the ratchet wheel 39 which ordinarily turns with the spindle 35. But instead of being fast to the spindle 35 the ratchet wheel 39 .frictionally mounted thereon byfriction is strong enough to permit the retarding train to restrain the action of-the main spring 36 in the usual running of the clock.

On the spindle 35 I fixedly mounted cam 40 which is to control the off action timer lever 15 by position of its peripheral slot 40a. and on the hub 40b of cam 40 I loosely mount a similar cam 41 to control the onaction timer lever 14 by position of its peripheral slot 41a and retained by the thrust collar 70. For the purpose of enabling cam 40 to drive cam 41 positively in a clock-wise direction while permitting cam 41 to be adjusted to different rotative positions relative to cam 40 in either relative direction, I employ a pawl 42 pivoted to cam 41 at 42c and coacting with a ratchet wheel 43 fixed to the hub of cam 40, this pawl 42 having a projection arm 44 protruding through an opening 44a in cam 41 and adapted for engagement by whatever manual operating instrumentality is provided for adjusting the rotative setting of cam 41 in its different rotative positions. In the structure as shown this'operating in'strumentality for cam 41 is the on timer hand 45 which acts on cam 41 through the med um of gear 46 on which it is mounted by means of a bracket 46a, pinion 4'7, and gear 48, the latter having a slot 49 engaging the projection 44 of pawl 42 and thereby acting on suitable occasions to release pawl 42 from its locking engagement with ratchet wheel 43. The cam 40 is operated directly by timer hand 50 which is fixed to the end of its hub.

There remains to be described the pivot construction of the timer levers 14 and 15 and the gear 46. The head of pivot stud 16, when the latter is tightly set, clamps firmly against the bearing standard 17, the following members,- bearing collar 51 of greater thickness than timer lever 15, stop bracket 53 for timer lever 15, spacer collar 55, stop bracket 54 for timer lever 14, bearing collar 51 of greater thickness than timer lever 14, pinion bracket 56, and bearing collar 52 of greater thickness than gear 46. A rigid mounting of parts 51, 53, 55, 54, 51a, 56 and 52 is thereby secured while permitting entire rotative freedom of timer levers 14 and 15 and gear 46. v

The pinion bracket 56 is further located and held in position through engagement with the front frame plate 13 of the clock mechanism and carries a pivot stud 5'7 for pinion 47.

The spring 58 loosely coiled around the spacer collar 55 acts on levers 14 and 15 to urge the former contraclockwise into the path of arms 33 and out of engagement with the slot 41a and to urge the lever 15 clockwise and into the path of arms 33 and out of engagement with slot 40a.

Before setting for automatic action the normal position of the switch-operating button and timer hands are as shown in Fig. 17 where both timer hands point to zero on their respective dials 45a and 50a and the switch may be in either on or off position. To-indicate whether on or off I may mount the usual form of switch indicator dial 60 omitted from Figs. 1 to 19 inclusive to rotate with the arms 33 whereby the words on or off come to register with an opening 61 through the casing as is well understood in the art, and, therefore the construction not herewith shown in detail.

Starting with the controls positioned as in Fig. 17, at which time the mechanism is positioned as in Figs. 5 to 8, it is apparent that successive turning of the switch button to the right will cause the switch to alternately snap off and on in the usual way without interference by the clock as timer levers 14 and 15 are then free to recede from the path of travel of the ends of arms 33 by dipping into slots 40a and 41a in cams 40 and 41, respectively, which cams are normally at rest in a position wherein said slots register with the ends of said detent levers, the spring 58 being weak enough to permit this yielding of levers 14 and 15, and the pivotal and angular relation of levers 14 and 15 being such with respect to the path of travel of arms 33, that the latter may thrust the former out of their path in passing.

If, as in Fig. 17, the switch is in the on position and it is desired to set it to automatically snap to off position (to break the circuit) at a predetermined time, the off timer hand 59 is turned to the left an amount corresponding to the desired time interval and then the switch button is turned to the right until it is felt to latch and hold. The arms 33 are prevented from following up the switch shaft 19 because the slot 40a in cam 40 has been removed from register with timer lever 15 and the latter is locked in the path of arm 33 to restrain it as shown in Fig. 9. When so restrained the preponderance of the thrust of arm 33 against lever 15 is taken by the pivot bolt 16 and only a small component of this which takes place when the clock, which begins to run as soon as timer hand 50 is removed from zero, has returned timer hand 50 to zero position v and slot 40a to position permitting the dipping of detent lever 15 thereinto. From reference to Fig. 10, it will be seen that in the set or cocked position of the switch parts the link 30 is positioned radially out of engagement with the stationary tooth 31 on plate 18 by the relative movement which has taken place between the cam 21 and the plate 28 as the latter is held back and the former advanced and that on time-controlled escapement of the arms 33 rotation of the link 30 with plate 18 while the cam 21 is still held stationary, will retract the link radially so that it engages with the next tooth 31 of plate 18 and assumes its usual function of stopping the switch blades 25, in their circuit-breaking position. So long as the timer hands 45 and 50 remain at zero it will be understood that this spring and link arrangement functions in the usual way to cause a quick make and break action of the switch as operated by hand turning of the button 34.

If, as in Fig. 19, the switch is in the oflf position, and it is desired to set it to automatically snap first on and then off at respectively different and predetermined times, then both the oil and on timer hands are turned to the left an amount corresponding to the respective desired intervals and, as before, the switch button is turned to the right until it is felt to latch and hold. In this case, the arms 33 are first prevented from following up the switch shaft 19 by interception of timer lever 14 because the slot 410. in cam 41 has been removed from register with the end of same.

The clock now starts to run and rotates cam 40 and the ratchet wheel 43 in clockwise direction (Fig. 16). Through the engagement of pawl 42 with ratchet wheel 43, the cam 41, to which pawl 42 is pivoted, is rotated in unison with cam 40 and therefore through the medium of gear 48, pinion 47 and gear 46, the on action timer hand 45 is rotated back to zero in unison with off action timer hand 50, on their respectively different centers. When the on action timer hand 45 reaches zero, slot 41a in cam 41 comes to register with detent lever 14 and arms 33 are permitted to escape and the switch snaps to the on position and makes, the circuit. Before this escapement parts are positioned as shown in Figs.

13, 14, 15 and 16. After this first escapement parts are left positioned as in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and. 12 and thereby under control of the off action timer which proceeds, as has heretofore been fully described, to operate as in the case of the single escapement action. Attention is called to the performance of link 30 during this double automatic escapement. Before the first escapement it was positioned as in Fig. 14. Keeping in mind that the switch shaft 19, and, consequently the cam 21, remains stationary during all time-con- I I fere with the next tooth 31 on star plate 18, so

that the switch is left free for its second automatic escapement to off position when released by the detent lever 15. Obviously, a gear and rack or any of the well known forms of rotary snap switch spring and detent construction could be substituted for the link 30 and cam 21.

Returning now to the mechanism by which the,

cam positively impels cam 41 in a clockwise direction, but is released from the connection by which it so impels said cam when the latter is positioned at zero, it is seen from reference to Fig. 4, that when the, pawl 42 is driven against the stationary pinion bracket 56 the latter acts as a stop and the former is swung on its pivot to release from engagement with ratchet wheel 43, after which the cam 41 is stopped from further clockwise travel because pawl 42 is limited in its swing, but the cam 40 is-freely permitted so to continue its travel to zero where it is stopped by engagement of its stop lug 62 with a projection 63 on the casing. Another lug 64 on the cam 40 engages with lug 65 on cam 41 to limit the possible time settings of latter to positions rotatively intermediate that of cam 40 and "zero position. In other words, the "on action timer hand cannot be set to consume a greater interval of time in its retumto zero than can the off action timer hand 50. The stops 62 63, 64

,and 65, imposing these limitations of travel on cams 40 and 41 have been shown on the drawings where they could be pictured most clearly without regard to preferred construction as would be employed in practice.

Referring further to the inter-operative rela tion of cam 40 and cam 41 it will be seen that with the OE action timer hand positioned, say, as in Fig. 19, the on" action timer hand 45 is free for setting to any position intermediate that of the hand 50 and zero, for the reason that the natural yielding of pawl 42 permits independent clockwise turning of hand 45 and the unlocking pressure of gear 48 against pawl 42 releases the pawl from engagement with ratchet wheel 39 to also permit independent contraclockwise turning of hand 45 within the limits above described'when turned by its designed operating hand 45.

The U-shaped spring 66 is anchored in a hole 6'7 in gear 48 and passing through an elongated slot 68 in said gear is anchored at its other end in a hole 69 in cam 41 for the purpose of preventing any pressure of gear 48 on pawl 42 tending to unlock same when the clock is driving both cams in their set. rotative relation back to zero position. This spring, however, permits the small amount of lost motion between gear 48 and cam 41 by which the pawl 42 is manually unlocked for time-setting.

Although, as a simple embodiment, the escapement-controlling detent mechanism in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown as consisting of the simple two pivoted timer levers 14 and 15 bearing directly 0 the clock driven cams 40 and 41 during the entire timing interval whereby the switch arms 33 are restrained from action, I may, within the scope of this invention, relieve the clock cams from even this continual slight pressure of timer levers 14'or 15 during running of the clock, by separately mounting shiftable lock members to lock and unlock levers 14 and 15, as, for example, the pivoted cams '71 and '72 in Fig. 21.

Two independent bracket supports '73=and '74 are provided with pivotscrews '75 and '76 giving preferably a frictional mounting by means of vide the revolving pins '77 and '78, respectively,

which look cams '71 and '72, while shiftable, by the clock for locking and unlocking levers 14 and 15, retain such position as they are left in. Taking the place of cams 40 and 41, I may prohaving the same driving relation to each other and to the clock spindle 35 as have cams 40 and 41. Fig. 20 shows the unlocked position of cams '71 and 72 and Fig. 21 shows the locking position. The pins '77 and 78 may pass cams '71 and '72 in either direction of rotation actuating them in one direction to locking position and by passing in the opposite direction, to unlocking position. Many schemes of timer action are made possible by this principle and the clock-driven parts; as before described, are subjected to no pressure by the thrust of the switch arms 33 when the switch is cocked.

In Fig. 23 is shown a modified form of lock members corresponding to cams '71 and '72 in Figs. 20, 21 and 22, whereby the springs '79 and 80 normally urge the cams 71a and 72a into locking positions, but yield to the pressure of 'pins 77 and '78, when the latter are driven against same by the clock. The stop pins 81 and 82 limit the swing of cams '71 and '72 so that the latter may act as a positive stop for pins '77 and 78in positions of the latter corresponding to zero positions of the timer hands 45 and 50.

Referring to Figs. 24 and 25, in the practical use of an interval timer it is often the case that the user habitually sets the timer to act at a certain hour of the day and as the time-indicating dials in Figs. 17, 18 and 19 serve only to indicate intervals of time that will elapse before the automatic switch action, it becomes necessary for the user to each day mentally compute the elapsed time for which he must set the switch, knowing the time of day at which he sets it and the time of day he wishes it to act. I am aware that it is an old expedient to make a dial with time-indicating graduations rotatively adjustable on the casing as a means for mechanically computing the elapsed time, but I believe it new with this invention to provide such a time-indicating dial carried v the action for 2 o'clock each day, he willadjust the time-graduated ring 83 in Fig. 24 so that the pointer on the setting hand points at 2 o'clock. Then at whatever time of day he happens to cook the timer for action, he has but to turn the pointer on 84 and therewith the ring 83 'until the stationary arrow 85 registers with the actual time of day, no interval of time requiring to be computed and no double adjustment both of the dial and of the setting hand being required as is the case wherein the ring 83 or its equivalent is adjustably carried by the casing instead of by the setting handle.

In Figs; 26 and 2'7 I show how several of the parts in Figs. 1 and 2 may be done away with by providing gear 48 with an operating drum 86 concentric with off action timer handle 50 and carrying graduations to register with the latter. In this arrangement drum 86 is assumed to connect directly with gear 48 and serve as a substitute for parts 47, 46, 46d and 45.

Fig. 28 shows how a specially marked switch indicator dial 8'7 may act to indicate not only the position of the switch, whether on or "ofi, but also to tell whether or not the switch is cocked for time-controlled automatic action. It will be 150 noticed from reference to Figs. 5 and 9 that a slight rotative advance of the arms 33 accompanies cocking of the switch. As arms 33 carry the switch-indicator, by providing the latter with ,two closely adjacent markings, one, only of those markings may be made to show in the casing window when the switch is not cocked, but both markings to be made visible by the slight rotative advance of arms 33 above referred to. Thus only the word Off or n can be made visible when not under timer control and the additional word Set may be caused to come into view when the switch is cocked for timer control, thereby to indicate this special condition of the switch.

By adding a duplicate of the timing mechanism and timer levers 14 and 15 ori the opposite side of the switch, it will be seen that four automatic actions of the switch could as well be controlled by one setting of the device.

This double action form of timer mechanism is as easily applicable to effect and time the double action at different pre-determined times of a gas valve or other agent when the latter is provided with automatic actuating means equivalent to the switch-spring 27 of the disclosed embodiment. Thus, the valve shown in my Patent No. 1,385,098, issued July 19, 1921 could be made to both open and close under time control by one setting of the timer under the principles of the present invention.

Thus, in Figs. 20 and 30 it is within the scope of a mechanics skill to provide a gas cook 90, like the gas cock 12 of my above mentioned patent with operating connection, as for example, the gears 91 and 92 to the rotor 26 whereby spring 27 may cause the actuation of said cock according to the principles of this invention. It would be a convenient expedient to provide cock with a seating in a solid portion 93 of the frame 12 through which gas ports 94 and 95 may be cut off or put in communication by the port 96 in cock 90 by consecutive QO-degree turns of the latter corresponding to the 90-degree positionings of the contact blades 25 in Fig. 1 whereby the flow of gas may be governed between the inlet 97 and outlet 98 threaded to receive piping connection. It will be understood that no invention is herein claimed in the substitution of a gas cook for electric switch contacts 23 and 25 to be controlled by handle 34 through the medium of spring 27 with or without operation of the. timing mechanism and that claims directed specifically to the inclusion of a gas cock or device other than electric switches, in combination with the pres-, ent improvements in timing mechanism are subject matter of applications for United States patent divisional herefrom.

It will be noted in Figs. 29 and 30 that I have shown cam 40 impelled in reduced speed ratio to the rotation of spindle 35 by a set of reduction gears 99, 100, 101 and 102 just as cam 40 of my Patent 1,385,098 is impelled in reduced speed ratio to the spindle 43 by the reduction gears 70, 81, 82 and 42 of said patent; the slow time pointer 103 functioning as does pointer 72 of my issued patent.

I, therefore, do not limit the scope of the invention to the precise mechanisms and construction pictured and described, but what I claim is:

1. In a timing mechanism, in combination, two clock-driven timers having separate setting handles connected to travel therewith, said timers being adjustable to difierent rotative relation by means of their respective handles, and connections whereby one of said timers impels the other.

2. In a timing mechanism, in combination, two clock-driven timers having separate setting handles and adjustable to difierent rotative relation by means of their respective handles and connections whereby one of said timers impels the other in one direction and is impellable by said other timer in the opposite direction.

3. In a timing mechanism, in combination, a driving timer and a driven timer having separate operating handles and adjustable to different rotative relation by means of their respective handles, a stop for said driven timer, and connections between said timers whereby one is impelled by the other, said connections acting to release the driving timer for further travel when the driven timer reaches its stop.

4. In a timing mechanism, in combination with two non-concentric time-indicating dials, two timers impellable in unison, each of said timers turning in register with one of said dials thereby to indicate its time setting, and connections between said timers limiting the setting of one of said timers to an equal or less period of time than the setting of said other timer.

5. In spring driven interval timing mechanism, in combination, two interconnected and relatively adjustable timers both removable from zero position and automatically returnable thereto by said mechanism, separate time-indicating hands movable in unison respectively with each of said timers, and two separate series of graduations respectively in the paths of said hands to register the degree of displacement of each of said hands from its zero position, and a handle associated with one of said hands for winding the spring of said mechanism.

6. In timing mechanism for operating a controlled device, in combination, a time retarded spring-impelled rotor, an actuator for the device,

a handle eccentric to and having lost motion connection to said rotor to wind the rotor spring and also having lost motion connection to said actuator for operating the same and a positive driving connection operable by said handle to couple and uncouple said actuator and said rotor in variable relative positions.

7. In timing mechanism embodying two clockdriven timers having separate control handles to vary their setting, a releasable driving connection for maintaining established rotative relation between said timers including a ratchet wheel fixed to rotate with one timer and a co-operative pawl mounted to rotate with the other timer, said pawl being acted upon by loose play connection to one of said control handles thereby to be released from engagement with said ratchet wheel.

8. In timing mechanism for operating a controlled device, in combination, a time-retarded spring-impelled rotor, an actuator for the device, a handle for said actuator eccentric thereto, and clutch mechanism including a ratchet wheel positively impelled by said rotor and a co-operative pawl carried by said actuator, said pawl being operable by said handle to couple and uncouple said actuator and said rotor in variable relative positions.

9. In timing mechanism for operating a controlled device, in combination, a time-retarded spring-impelled rotor, an actuator for the device, a handle for said actuator eccentric thereto and clutch mechanism including a ratchet wheel po'sitively impelled by said rotor and a co-operative pawl carried by said actuator, said pawl being operable by said handle to couple and uncouple said actuator and said rotor in variable relative positions together with a stationary stop operative to disengage said pawl from said ratchet wheel at a definite position of said actuator.

10. In a timing mechanism, in combination, two timers having separate setting handles connected to travel respectively therewith, said timers having a means of slippage therebetween rendering them adjustable to different rotative relation by their respectivehandles and said means of slippage constituting a driving connection whereby one of said timers impels the other timer in unison therewith.

11. In timing mechanism in combination, a time giving movement, a power spring for impelling said movement, a spindle connected to turn in one direction to wind said spring and to be impelled by said spring in the opposite direction, an indicator connected eccentrically to said spindle to show movement thereof and to permit at times rotation of said spindle independently of and relative to said indicator, and means positively limiting the extent of relative movement between said indicator and said spindle.

12. In timing mechanism in combination, a

1 time giving movement, a power spring for impelling said movement, a spindle connected to turn in one direction to wind said spring and to be impelled by said spring in the opposite direction, an indicator connected eccentrically to said 'spindle to show movement thereof and to permit at times rotation of said spindle independently of and relative to said indicator, and means positively limiting the extent of relative movement between said indicator and said spindle, together with a stationary stop disposed to limit the absolute movement of said spindle.

13. In timing mechanism in combination, a time giving movement including a power spring, a spindle connected to wind said spring when turned in one direction, a combined indicator and handle eccentric to said spindle for turning said spindle and for indicating the degree of said turning, means whereby said indicator handle positively engages said spindle in direction .to wind, means whereby said indicator handle ,both said spindle and said member.

14. In a device of the character described, a rotary winding shaft, means for indicating circumferentially the extent of movement of said nection between said last member and the shaft permitting movement of the former by the latter in unwinding direction, and a stop limiting the rotary movement of all said parts within 360 degrees.

15. In a timing mechanism embodying a plural.-ty of co-axial timers rotatable by a common time giving mechanism, a plurality of non-concentric, time-setting, separate handles, connected to operate said timers, and a plurality of nonconcentric time dials, each of said handles being arranged to register with a respectively different one of said time indicating dials.

16. In a timing mechanism, in combination with a tensioned device whose successive actions are to be timed by controlling successive escapements thereof, a time movement, two non-concentric, time-indicating dials, two escapement controlling timers arranged to cause successive actions of said device by preventing and permitting successive escapements thereof and further arranged to be rotated in unison by said movement and to be free for unrestricted manual adjustment in the reverse rotative direction to desired time settings, rotative impelling connect ons between said timers and said movement constructed to slip rotatively without axial movement whereby said timers may be impelled by said movement while manually adjustable in the reverse direction as said, two time pointers each in constant relation to a diiferent one of said timers and arranged to register respectively with a different one of said dials, thereby to indicate the respective time settings of each of said action-causing timers.

17. In timing mechanism, a time movement, a rotatable timer impellable by said movement for causing pre-determined automatic action of a controlled device, a time setting pointer rotatable with safd timer to indicate the rotative position thereof, a graduated dial co-operating with said pointer to measure time and arranged to be impelled by said movement in unison with said pointer, and a yielding connection between said timer and said movement to permit rotative adjustment of said timer relative to said movement.

RAYTMOND D. SMITH. 

